We Need to Stop Calling Women 'Crazy'
The adjective, ‘crazy,’ is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as:
“having or showing severe mental illness…
[being] unable to think in a clear or sensible way…
[being] wild and uncontrolled….”
The notion that women are ruled by our emotions—that we are irrational, illogical, and potentially unstable—is deeply ingrained in our society. For instance, we are all familiar with the Karen memes and comedic portrayals of so-called ‘crazy’ women in film and stand-up routines.
Women are frequently labelled as crazy for a variety of different reasons: for voicing an opinion, for being open about our feelings, for bringing up a serious issue, such as sexism or assault—the list is endless. After all, how many times have you heard a woman being referred to as hysterical or hormonal?
The misogynistic trope of the hysterical woman
The adjective, ‘hysterical,’ originates from the Latin word, hystericus, which means ‘of the womb.’[1] Originally, it was thought that hysteria, as a condition, and its associated symptoms, such as anxiety or strong emotional outbursts, were triggered by a defect of the womb and that, therefore, only women could be hysterical. The term, ‘lunacy,’ possesses similar misogynistic origins, being derived from the Latin word, luna, which means ‘moon’ and traditionally referring to the monthly ‘insanity’ that women were deemed to experience during our menstrual cycles.[2]
Women’s emotions are often dismissed or brushed off with phrases, such as ‘you’re too sensitive,’ ‘you’re being hysterical,’ ‘are you on your period?’ In other words, our emotions are not worth taking seriously and should be disregarded. Despite the recent mental health movement, many people find themselves being accused of being crazy or ‘not quite right,’ whatever this means. But for women, this accusation is often used flippantly. We find ourselves being labelled as such when we are upset, frightened, humiliated, or, even more perniciously, when we seek to stand up for ourselves in the face of injustice.
What typically happens in these situations is that a woman might be rightfully exhausted, angry, or upset when she speaks out about the sexual harassment she has suffered, for instance, having experienced years of being silenced. Her thoughts and feelings are then repeatedly dismissed through the use of these charged words and phrases, thereby automatically absolving her accused of any responsibility; essentially, if you as a woman are not seen to be ‘rational,’ then the perpetrator is off the hook.
How the label ‘crazy’ is used to gaslight women
Have you ever noticed how many people have a crazy ex-girlfriend? Funny that, isn’t it? It comes as no surprise to me that, in popular culture, the stereotypical perceptions of femininity limit the expected range of a woman’s emotions to an easily digestible dichotomy between joy and sadness. Consequently, a woman is expected to suppress or hide more complex emotions she may experience, such as anguish, that do not fit within this simple rubric. I, for one, have long found that the frequently uttered phrase, ‘she is crazy,’ in fact translates to ‘a woman has emotions, and I do not like it.’
The word ‘crazy’ is more problematic than its flippant use suggests. Crazy in itself speaks a thousand words, cutting off the need for further inquiry: the label sticks. Crazy is a full stop, an end-point; there is no coming back once it has been alleged. It is a weapon that may be used to invalidate a woman’s thoughts and feelings; it provides a tool to obscure what is perceived by the user to be an inconvenient truth. By addressing a woman as ‘crazy,’ the speaker forces her to question the validity of her own beliefs; she immediately enters a position of vulnerability where any argument she proposes is capable of being rendered obsolete by one small word. With her perceived ‘craziness’ now holding her hostage, she essentially stares down the barrel of a misogynistic gun.
Calling a woman crazy suggests that her comments are unfounded owing not to any reasoned judgment of their substance, but rather to something innate within her as a speaker. It becomes a tool to gaslight her, doubting the validity of her voice because of the alleged invalidity of her mind.
The term, ‘gaslight,’ comes from the 1944 film of the same name, which explores the story of a woman who is married to a manipulative and controlling man. In his attempts to control her, he begins to manipulate her environment in ways that make her question her sanity. Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse that involves the act of psychologically manipulating someone, causing them to question their own thoughts, memories, or facts related to an event that they know happened. It can occur in different forms; however, they all operate as an attempt to psychologically control the victim, making them believe that they are ‘crazy’ and that their perception of reality is false or invalid.
Conclusion
While all people are capable of demonstrating emotionally unstable and irrational behaviours, such conduct is not the exclusive preserve of women. The ease with which the word, ‘crazy,’ is directed at women, by men, other women, and even by women towards themselves, is a major cause for concern in our day-to-day lives. It perpetuates a world in which a woman’s opinions are easily dismissed merely because she is a woman, without engaging with their meaningful substance. We women are not crazy for wanting a fulfilling relationship, for seeking gender equality, or for demanding that certain injustices be addressed; in fact, to not speak up about these issues would involve the very irrationality that the ‘craziness’ label itself suggests.
We women are not crazy for wanting a fulfilling relationship, for seeking gender equality, or for demanding that certain injustices be addressed; in fact, to not speak up about these issues would involve the very irrationality that the ‘craziness’ label itself suggests. Image source: Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse that involves the act of psychologically manipulating someone, causing them to question their own thoughts, memories, or facts related to an event that they know happened. Image source: Gaslight (1944) / Getty Images
Women are frequently labelled as crazy for a variety of different reasons: for voicing an opinion, for being open about our feelings, for bringing up a serious issue, such as sexism or assault—the list is endless. After all, how many times have you heard a woman being referred to as hysterical or hormonal? Illustration by Chelsea Hughes.
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Sources Cited
[1] Gary Nunn, ‘The Feminisation of Madness is Crazy’ (The Guardian, 8 March 2012) <https://www.theguardian.com/media/mind-your-language/2012/mar/08/mind-your-language-feminisation-madness> accessed 10 November 2021.
[2] ibid.